NASA, Relativity Space to Fly Atmospheric Science Instruments to Mars in 2028
Six-Year Space Act Agreement Marks NASA’s First Reimbursable Commercial Mars Mission
A public-private partnership to send a NASA-built atmospheric instrument suite to Mars aboard a Relativity Space spacecraft was announced by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on June 17, 2026, at an event hosted by Relativity Space.
“By pairing NASA’s world-class instruments with commercial innovation and investment, we can deliver more science, more often, and reduce the time it takes to get essential data into the hands of researchers preparing for future human missions to Mars.”
Jared Isaacman, NASA
Under the agreement, NASA will provide the Aeolus payload ... four complementary instruments designed to measure Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds. Relativity Space will supply the spacecraft, launch vehicle, and cruise operations to deliver the payload to Mars. The mission is scheduled to launch in 2028.
The arrangement is structured as NASA’s first six-year reimbursable Space Act Agreement, a framework the agency said provides stable, long-term terms for commercial partnerships.
“Public-private partnerships like this are a force multiplier for science,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “By pairing NASA’s world-class instruments with commercial innovation and investment, we can deliver more science, more often, and reduce the time it takes to get essential data into the hands of researchers preparing for future human missions to Mars.”
The Aeolus suite is designed to provide the first integrated, daily, global view of the Martian atmosphere. NASA said the data will directly inform entry, descent, and landing systems for future crewed missions. The agency will support science instrument operations for at least one Martian year, roughly 687 Earth days.
The four instruments in the suite are:
Doppler Wind and Temperature Sounder (DWTS-Ozone): Measures wind and temperature profiles from the surface to approximately 37 miles altitude. Developed in collaboration with GATS.
Thermal Limb Sounder (TLS): Provides vertical temperature profiles and observations of dust and water-ice clouds. Developed with Xiomas Technologies.
Surface Radiometric Sensor Package (SuRSeP): Measures surface energy balance, dust, and cloud properties.
Wide-Field Context Camera (WFCC): Captures daily global images of atmospheric activity.
Researchers at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will design, build, and integrate the payload. Relativity Space will manage spacecraft development and mission operations. NASA will also develop the data-processing pipeline needed to produce ready-to-use data products for the broader scientific community.
Aeolus builds on data collected by earlier NASA Mars orbiters, including MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution), the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and Mars Odyssey.
“As NASA’s Innovation Center of Excellence, Ames is committed to delivering the technologies, capabilities, and creative partnerships that enable the agency’s boldest missions,” said Dr. Eugene Tu, center director, NASA Ames. “Aeolus reflects how innovative collaboration accelerates science and strengthens the foundation needed for one day landing humans on Mars.”
The Aeolus launch is scheduled for 2028.